| Lone Pine, California doesn't look like
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| | Whitney. At 14,496 feet, it is the
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| much at first. It's a dusty desert town
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| | highest mountain in the lower 48 states.
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| of a few thousand, on highway 395, on the
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| | Whitney Portal Road starts in the center
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| eastern side of the Sierra Nevadas. There
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| | of town, and takes you 20 miles up to the
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| might still be only one traffic light. So
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| | trailhead and campground. The Whitney
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| what makes it a great vacation
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| | Portal Trail goes to the top. It's a
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| destination?The Lone Pine Film
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| | strenuous hike, and the 22-mile round
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| FestivalHere are some of the movies
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| | trip is best broken into two or three
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| filmed in this part of California: Gunga
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| | days, with a night or two spent in the
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| Din, How The West Was Won, Star Trek,
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| | beautiful high country. By the way,
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| Tremors, Springfield Rifle, Joshua Tree,
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| | you'll find snow up there most of the
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| Gladiator, and Maverick. John Wayne, Gene
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| | year.The National Forest Service has
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| Autry, Gary Cooper, Kirk Douglas, Robert
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| | designated much of the Inyo National
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| Mitchum, William Boyd, and dozens of
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| | Forest and Sequoia National Park around
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| other movie stars have all spent time in
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| | the mountain as "The Whitney Zone." To
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| Lone Pine. Television series filmed here
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| | hike within this area you need a permit,
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| include The Lone Ranger, Have A Gun,
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| | which can be obtained from the
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| Bonanza, and Wagon Train. Spend much time
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| | inter-agency visitors center on Highway
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| in Lone Pine, and later, when you're
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| | 395, just south of Lone Pine. Plan ahead,
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| watching movies at home, you'll find
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| | as permits are limited, and a seperate
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| yourself saying "Hey I've been
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| | summit stamp may be required now to go to
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| there."More than 200 movies, and numerous
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| | the peak of Whitney.There is a campground
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| television series have been filmed in and
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| | behind downtown - to the west, and
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| around the area. The Lone Pine Film
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| | several nice motels in Lone Pine. The
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| Festival, which is held in early October
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| | visitor's center south of town has a lot
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| every year, features the classics, as
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| | of information on activities and sights
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| well as more recent films. If you watch
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| | in the area. The reservoir south of town
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| many movies, you can see familiar movie
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| | is good for fishing and swimming. The
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| scenery any time of the year.The Alabama
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| | Beverly and Jim Rogers Museum of Lone
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| HillsDrive a few minutes south of Lone
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| | Pine Film History will open soon. Actors
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| Pine, turn west, and you'll find the
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| | have gun battles in the local bar just to
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| Alabama Hills, one of the most unique
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| | entertain you (no charge).My wife and I
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| geological areas you'll ever see. Rounded
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| | love Lone Pine. Where else in California,
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| and smooth rocks are piled up in the most
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| | or anywhere else, can you - all in one
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| amazing formations. You may recognize
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| | day - go swimming, watch a gunfight,
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| some of the scenery from old westerns. On
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| | explore caves and rock formations in the
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| the south side of town, at the visitors
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| | desert, then drive up the mountain for a
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| center, you can get free maps that will
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| | snowball fight?Steve Gillman hit the road
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| guide you to rock arches, caves and other
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| | at sixteen, and traveled the U.S. and
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| sights. You'll have to walk into mazes of
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| | Mexico alone at 17. Now 40, he travels
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| rocks to get to the better ones.Mount
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| | with his wife Ana, whom he met in
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| WhitneyLone Pine is the gateway to Mount
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| | Ecuador.
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